special equipment

2 wide-mouth pint jars

Recipe Preparation

Preheat oven to 275°. Place pork shoulder and belly and skin in a large saucepan. Tuck in thyme and bay leaves and add ½ cup water. Cover and braise, stirring occasionally, until meat is falling-apart tender and fat is soft, 2 ½–3 hours. Remove from oven, pluck out thyme and bay leaves and let meat rest until cool enough to handle.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat and skin to a large bowl; pour fat and any cooking liquid in pot into a heatproof measuring cup (you should have about 1 cup).

Shred meat with a potato masher; do not hold back. Pour in ¾ cup fat and mash meat a little bit more—mixture should look and feel almost pasty (but in a good way). Season with salt, nutmeg, and a splash of lemon juice, which will temper the richness of the meat. Taste and adjust as necessary (err on the side of too salty—it will mellow as it cools).

Pack rillette mixture into jars, pushing out any air bubbles. Top each with a few spoonfuls of reserved fat and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

Serve with bread or crackers.

Do ahead: Rillette can be made 1 week ahead; cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before serving.